Bonnie's Passion for Knitting: Spinners of Yarn and Stories

March 29, 2010

Spinners of Yarn and Stories

I blog so infrequently but I still enjoy it when I do.

Knitting will never take a back seat for me but the beginning of this year I decided it was time for me to start learning how to use Emma, my Kromski Symphony, which I purchased last spring. Never having spun before except for a few minutes at Rhinebech a few year ago. In those few minutes I knew I wanted a Kromski and I was sure I'd love spinning. This has been an interesting adventure where I've hit a few stumbling blocks along the way, primarily my health. For the past 4 months I have had 4 episodes of severe bronchial asthma which is new for me and have quite painful nerve impingement/inflammation in L3. L4 and L5. So these have slowed me down. None the less life is good.

Last year at Rhinebech I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in years and it turned out she had just purchased a spinning and wanted to learn to spin. Thank goodness for Brigette as she hooked us up with a wonderful spinning group in PA about an hour from me. They are the most wonderful group of ladies and welcomed us into the fold. We meet in Grace's home/family farm. She raises Finn sheep and she and her husband collect and restore antique spinning wheels. They have a wonderful assortment of wheels and he is a master wood craftsman. All the women in our group are so willing and even eager to teach newcomers. Unfortunately my back has prevented me from attending for a month now. Although I am hoping to have procedures done soon that will improve it.

Have you read the book Trafficking in Sheep by Anne Barclay Priest? If not run out and buy it. What wonderful adventures and an interesting life she has had. The book is her story She was an Off Broadway actress, single mother of two boys who visited Nova Scotia in the 1970's and ended up purchasing property there, then moving an old house onto it and then buying Blue Island which is insight of her property to prevent others from developing it. She then became a shepherdess by moving a herd of sheep onto Blue Island. Anne has lived the type of life many of us have only dreamed about. She is quite an inspiration.

Brigette contacted Anne and then visited her at her working sheep farm in Greenville, NY which is near us. Anne then accepted an invitation to spin and lunch with Brigette and I at Brigette's house. We had a most delightful day of eating, chatting and spinning. Of course I say spinning loosely as what I turn out so far doesn't look much like yarn but once my back is better I hope to change that story. It was just an incredibly wonderful experience for me. Thank you Anne.

I completed the Aeolin shawl last year and never posted pictures of it. I had hoped to get better photos but never did so here it is .

I'm so bad about keeping up with photos of my projects. Most of the the time I forget to photograph the items before gifting them.

I'd also planned on making more of my Christmas gifts than I did but I did manage to make a totebag for my friend, Donna. She loves Lighthouses and I found this fabric a few years ago, putting it aside for her. I think the bag came out lovely and she seemed to like it as well.